1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to poker variants and casino table poker games in which a player competes against a dealer for payouts on wagers. In particular, the present invention relates to casino table poker games that provide a player with an enhanced perception of player advantage and offers a fast-paced game with player strategy against multiple dealer hands.
2. Background of the Art
Numerous card games systems have been developed for gaming and entertainment purposes. Many of these card games systems have been adapted for use in casino wagering card games, such as blackjack and poker, to name a few. The development of successful casino card games must address several distinct criteria.
As with all successful games, a successful casino card game must be entertaining for the players and offer an apparent chance for success at the game. To be sufficiently entertaining, a card game must balance often-competing factors. These factors include complexity and challenge of game play, the pace of game play, the element of chance, the level of player skill and strategy, the amount of player interaction, the number of wagers at stake and the apparent chance of success and strategic decision making by the player.
Aside from the effect on the entertainment value of the game, the complexity of game play is of practical importance to casino type wagering games. Overly complex rules of game play will prevent the attraction of new players to a casino game and might even frustrate players familiar with the game. Simple rules allow the game to be easily accessible to all. However, overly simplistic game play often results in an unchallenging and unentertaining game, and fails to attract more experienced players. It is well known that more experienced players make larger wagers.
The pace of game play is also of unique importance for a successful casino game. The rapid turnover, or cycle time, in the wagering rounds is preferred by the house in a casino game to maximize the wagering cycles of the game. This must also be balanced against how the pace of the game play affects the entertainment offered by the game. In other words, at some point, increasing the speed of the game past a certain point will reduce the entertainment value of the game. Some players feel pressured if the game moves too fast.
Regarding the element of chance, it is fundamental to casino type games that the element of chance plays a substantial role in the game. The player preferably would like to feel that some control can be exercised by players to enhance their chance of winning. At the same time, a game based solely on skill in making strategic decisions may tend to intimidate new players in a casino game environment. Additionally, if skill could be exercised that would actually shift statistical advantage in favor of the player, casinos would not offer the game. However, in most casino card games, winning is based on a combination of skill and the element of chance, where a player's increased skill will increase his likelihood of winning for short periods during repeated play. Consequently, the element of chance and the level of player skill and strategy necessary are both of importance in player perception and the casino's ability to offer the game.
Many different variations in the play of casino table poker games have been offered to provide a wide range of game play and maintain player interest in table games. There is some general knowledge or unpublished knowledge in the art that is not directly related to the play of the game that should be considered. These include the basic game of Pai Gow Poker, “Over/Under 21,” Three-Game Poker variations and a patent Application filed by Shuffle Master, Inc. on May 13, 2003 and publicly shown by Shuffle Master, Inc. in March of 2003.
Pai Gow Poker
This game and it variants compel both the players and the dealer to form at least two distinct hands, a five-card High Hand and a two-card Low Hand. The player High Hand competes against the dealer High Hand and the player Low Hand competes against the dealer's Low Hand. Both of the Player's hands must beat both of the dealer's respective High and Low hands to win. There is a three hand Pai Gow variant shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,646. Again the similarly ranked player hands (High, Mid and Low) each are playing against only one of the dealer's (High, Mid and Low) hands at a time (High vs High, Mid vs Mid and Low vs Low). The players are required to play all three hands against the dealer's three hands. The player's high, mid and low hands compete against the dealer's high, mid and low hands, respectively.
Over/Under 21
In this game, the player makes an optional side bet wager as to whether the count of the dealer's first two cards in the game of Twenty-One will be over 13 or under 13. This is a one-to-one wager. This game is played concurrently with the game of Twenty-One. The side bet is usually resolved prior to the dealer dealing players additional cards.
Oklahoma Stud™ Poker
In this game, the dealer is provided with two separate hands of cards, but only a single dealer hand is in play. A dealer's first hand is automatically discarded when the rank of the first hand exceeds a first predetermined minimum rank (e.g., a flush).
Lombardo et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,827 B1 describes a casino table card game in which a greater number of cards are provided to a dealer than to a player. The player provides a first stake and designates a portion of his lesser number of cards to correspond to that first stake. The cards dealt to a player (e.g., 4 initial cards) are split into two hands, each of which has a separate stake, and each of which plays against two hand segments established by the dealer. The player may also rearrange cards in the first segment, but only if the player's hand ties the dealer's hand.
Webb U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,916 (assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc.) discloses the basic play of 3-Card Poker. The game is a method of playing a three-card poker card game, comprising the steps of: receiving a first wager that a player's three-card hand will exceed a dealer's three-card hand; receiving an optional second wager that said player's three-card hand will be at least a first predetermined rank; dealing a single hand of only three cards each to said player and to said dealer; receiving an optional third wager from said player. If the third wager is not received, the player forfeits said first wager and any said second wager. The method further includes the step of determining whether said dealer's three-card hand is at least a second predetermined rank. If the dealer's three-card hand is not at least said second predetermined rank, paying the player an amount based on said first wager and returning the third wager to the player. If the dealer's three-card hand is at least said second predetermined rank, comparing the dealer's three-card hand with the player's three-card hand. If the player's three-card hand is higher, the player is paid an amount based on both the first and third wagers. If the player's three-card hand is lower, the player forfeits both the first and third wagers. The player is paid an amount in accordance with a predetermined scale when said second and third wagers are received and the player's three-card hand is at least said first predetermined rank. There is no fourth bet and there is no second “dealer hand” or bonus hand in an accelerated bonus event. This is a three-card poker game only, not 2-cards, and there is only one dealer hand.
Moody U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,279 describes a variant of Three-Card poker. An initial hand of three cards is dealt to each player and three community cards are dealt face down in front of the dealer. The player decides which cards to hold and which cards to discard. For each card that is discarded, the player uses one of the community cards as the replacement card. If the player discards one card, Card #1 is used as the replacement card. If the player discards two cards, Card #1 and Card #2 are used as the replacement cards. If the player discards all three cards, Card #1, Card #2 and Card #3 are used as the replacement cards. After the player has made his decision, all of the community cards are turned face up and the outcome of the player's final three card hand is determined. Winning and losing outcomes are determined based on a pay table and the amount of the player's wager. There are never two or more dealer hands.
Suttle et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 and Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 describe the basic play of Caribbean Stud® poker. A five card hand is dealt to each player after a mandatory ante bet is placed and five cards are also dealt to a dealer. Prior to dealing cards, the player may place an optional side bet to participate in the jackpot component of the game. One card from the dealer's hand is exposed, and the player may place a play wager that is a multiple of the ante (typically 2×the ante) to stay in the game after viewing the dealer's partially disclosed hand (e.g., the single up card). Bonus bets are paid in this game, only when the player attains a ranked hand and beats the dealer's hand. There is only a single dealer hand. The dealer must also qualify, typically with a Queen high or better for the player to win a bonus payout on the play wager.
Webb U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774 describes a casino table poker game in which separate bets may be placed by a player that a player's hand will either exceed a predetermined rank or beat the dealer's hand. At least one, but not necessarily both bets may be placed. A third optional bet is available that backs up the wager as to whether the player's hand will exceed the rank of the dealer's hand. Wild cards are available, and an initial hand of four cards may be dealt to the player. There is only a single dealer's hand.
Webb U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,719 describes a variant of mixed card games which combines the play of Blackjack, a three-card poker wager, and a side bet. A dealer's card is combined into the player's first two cards for the three-card poker play. The dealer's hand has no effect on bonus events. There is only a single dealer hand in play.
Lott U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,011 describes a poker-type game with multiple wagers, jackpots and insurance options. Multiple players wager on a single five-card player hand which competes against a seven card dealer hand from which five dealer cards are selected to form a dealer's hand. There is only a single dealer hand in play.
Sklansky et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,068 and Sklansky et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,025 describe a casino table card game in which multiple hands (three hands) are provided face-up to the table, not to a player, along with face-down common cards. Players make individual wagers as to which of the multiple hands will produce the highest rank in combination with the common cards when the common cards are revealed. More than one player can bet on a hand, and each player can bet on only one hand. There are no possibilities for a player to wager against the three hands, players do not get individual hands, and there are no optional side bets for high ranking hands.
Franklin U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,568 describes a poker-type game in which an initial 7-Card hand is provided to players and the dealer. The initial 7-Card hand is broken down into three poker hands, a 2-Card low hand, a 2-Card middle hand, and a 3-Card high hand. The player must win at least two of the competitions of Low vs Low, Middle vs Middle, and High vs. High hands. Tie rankings are in favor of the dealer. There are no options for the number of hands in play, and the player must play with three hands.
Chadband U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,565 provides the ability of a player at a casino table card game to make separate wagers on separate two-player hands. Players may elect to play either the frontline hand or the backline hand against jackpots built up among players. There are no multiple dealer hands.
Potter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,614 describes a casino table card game in which multiple bank hands are provided to the table on which players may make wagers in multiple games. There is no dealer actively playing a house hand and no player hand is competing against multiple dealer hands.
Feola U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,731 describes a method for playing a casino table card game (including stud poker variants) in which a number of hands are dealt in a line, and players wager as to which hand will win. A selected hand may be playing against the house or against all other hands, but outcome is not dependent upon the selected hand beating more then one hand.
Jones et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 describes an optional side bet made on bonus play in table games, specifically in Caribbean Stud® poker. With placement of a side bet, bonus hands are rewarded, even if the dealer beats the ranked hand of a player or does not qualify with a minimum hand ranking.
De Lisle U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,119 describes a method of playing a card game (non-poker type) wherein players' and dealer's hands are valued by determining the suit (in each hand) where the player's and dealers ‘points’ are highest. There are optional call bets at various points of hand disclosures.
Singer U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,436 describes a modified poker game in which a player builds a hand, being dealt two cards at a time and discarding one card at a time, until a hand is built of a predetermined number of cards.
Garrod U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,373 B1 describes a method of playing a card game with a dealer's hand that has a ‘permanent displayed card (e.g., the Ace of Spades). From the remainder of the deck, each player is dealt two face-down cards, and each player may act on their cards, being given an option to continue or fold and receive a portion of the wager back. Then five common cards are dealt face up, with the common cards being common to both the dealer's and the players' hands. Players may receive awards for bonus hands.
Perkins U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,485 allows a player to purchase a bonus card in the play of a casino table poker game, the card being delivered when the first five cards is a losing hand.
Wirth U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,906 teaches the potential for the option of using a sixth card in a dealer-vs.-player casino table five card poker game.
Miller U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,915 describes an electronic six card poker hand, with an option of drawing cards available, and an optional sequence of wagers.
Shuffle Master Inc.'s U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/277,508 describes a game in which a Player may get additional cards when the player's hand has a low value. This activity does not require a side wager.
In spite of the availability of many casino table card games in the literature, only a few games have been widely successful in the casino gaming market. It is therefore desirable to provide a greater variety of games from which more successful table games can be found.